Growth is gradual. We all know this, but it can be hard to maintain our effort and enthusiasm over time, especially when our progress is indiscernible. When Adam and Eve partook of the forbidden fruit, God prevented them from accessing the tree of life. (See Genesis 3:24.) Alma later explained that this was necessary because... Continue Reading →
Being Created
First, three premises: To create something doesn't mean to bring it into existence. It means to organize preexisting materials in a new way. (See Joseph Smith's explanation of the Hebrew word bara' (בָּרָא) as recorded by William Clayton, General Conference, April 1844.)The Creation isn't an event that occurred in the past. It is ongoing. (See... Continue Reading →
“Waiting Upon the Spirit of the Lord” – Mosiah 21:33-34
After living in bondage for many years, King Limhi and his people remembered Alma, who had baptized a group of believers, organized the church, and then fled from the armies of Limhi's father, King Noah. Limhi and his people wanted the same blessings Alma and his people had received, but it was not their time.... Continue Reading →
Times and Seasons
When we truly have faith in God, we trust His timing. The author of the book of Ecclesiastes reminds us that many of our experiences occur on a schedule beyond our control: To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a... Continue Reading →
Wheat and Tares
In one of the Savior's parables, a farmer plants wheat in his field. In the middle of the night when no one is watching, his enemy plants tares in the same field. A tare is "an injurious weed resembling wheat when young" (Oxford English Dictionary). When the farmer's servants realize what has happened, they ask... Continue Reading →
“They Shall Not Be Ashamed That Wait for Me” – 1 Nephi 21:23, 2 Nephi 6:7
Waiting doesn't come easy for human beings. We aren't naturally patient. But multiple times, the prophet Isaiah identifies waiting as a key component of discipleship. Here are some examples: "I will wait upon the Lord, that hideth his face from the house of Jacob, and I will look for him" (Isaiah 8:17, 2 Nephi 18:17)."Lo,... Continue Reading →
Until the Time Should Come
Joseph Smith had to wait a long time to obtain the plates containing the original text of the Book of Mormon. When the angel Moroni appeared to him on the evening of Sunday, September 21, 1823, even before showing him in a vision the place where the plates were buried, he indicated that it was... Continue Reading →
How Can I Be More Patient?
The Guide to the Scriptures defines patience as "calm endurance; the ability to endure affliction, insult, or injury without complaint or retaliation." After the four sons of King Mosiah—Ammon, Aaron, Omner, and Himni—were converted, they felt a deep desire to share the gospel with their enemies, the Lamanites. They pleaded with their father "for many... Continue Reading →
How Can I Be More Patient with Myself?
The Book of Mormon makes it clear that patience is an attribute of Jesus Christ and that His disciples should also strive to develop that attribute. It speaks about being patient in sufferings, in tribulations, in persecutions, and in afflictions (Alma 1:25, Alma 17:11, Alma 20:29, Alma 26:27-28, Alma 31:31, Alma 34:41, Alma 60:26). Patience... Continue Reading →
What Does the Book of Mormon Teach About Patience?
Today, I reviewed the passages in the Book of Mormon about patience. I learned the following principles: God is patient with us. King Benjamin wanted his people to understand that God has great power and wisdom, but that He is patient with us (Mosiah 4:6). Alma taught the people of Ammonihah that Jesus Christ is... Continue Reading →
Book of Mormon Study Notes 